Side or back comb holder.



'No. S93,0'9-2. PATENTED JULY 14, 1908.

W. NOBLE.

SIDE ORBAGK 00MB HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 3, 1907.

WALTER NOBLE, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

SIDE OR BACK COMB HOLDER.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14, 1908.

Application filed September 3, 1907. Serial No. 391,078.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER NOBLE, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing in the city and county of Denver and State ofColorado, have invented a new and useful Side or Back Comb Holder, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in comb holders, and the objects ofmy inven-v t1on are: first, to rovide a sliding, opening and closing,comb older for holding a comb in a ladys hair. Second, to provide a hairengaging comb holder that is adapted to be secured to a tooth of a comb.And third, to provide a simple, inexpensive comb holder that ispractical, invisible when in the hair,

which is tasty, neat in appearance, and which permits the comb to beeasily and quickly secured in the hair and removed therefrom. I attainthese objects by the mechanism lllfilSifiated in the accompanyingdrawings, in w 1c Figure 1, is .a view of a comb, showing my improvedfastener applied thereto. Fig. 2,

is a vertical, sectional view through one of the fasteners, showing thepreferred form of spring used therewith. Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 areviews of varying forms of the sprin retaining casing, which is securedto a toot of the comb. Fig. 8, is a sectional view of a portion of oneof the end teeth of a comb, showing it provided with a recess to receiveone of the retaining springs, the same arrangement being shown in dottedlines Fig. 1. And Figs. 9, 10, and 11 show different forms of theretaining spring or anchor.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1, designates a side or backcomb, commonly used by women to hold and ornament the hair after it isdressed or put up. The improved holder is adapted to be attached to atooth of such a comb, and in its different forms it comprises a springholding case 2, which is formed integral with or secured to a clampingor retaining member which is attached to a tooth of the comb. In thepreferred form of the invention this retaining member consists of aslightly tapered, split tube 3, which is slipped upon a tooth, and heldthereon by frictional engagement, the case 2 forming an integral part ofit, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 3. I may, however, employ anyof the forms of retainers shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7. In Fig. 4, thecase 2 has an integral loop 4, at each end, which takes the place of thesplit tube, the tooth of the comb passing through these loops, while inFig. 5 a pair of clamping strips or blades 5, are employed, which clampthe sides of the tooth. In Fig. 6, the case is provided with a coiledspring 6, which tapers towards the center from each end. This spring isslipped u on the tooth, and as the smaller coils, whicli fit tightly,are expanded, they cause the larger coils to contract, and bind upon thetooth, and these hold the case firmly in'position.

In Fig. 7, the retainer consists of a tube 7, provided adjacent to eachend with a slit 8, which produces an inwardly projecting tongue 9, whichcuts into and is slightly embedded in the face of the tooth. As shown,the upper tongue may be given a downward inclination, while the lowertongue is given an upward inclination, and thus the retainer will beheld upon the tooth against move-v ment in either direction. A verticallug 10 may also be formed in one or both sides of this retainer, toprevent its axial movement upon the tooth.

In .Fig. 8, I have illustrated a modification,

in which the end teeth of the comb are provided with recesses 11, alsoshown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, which take the place of the case 2, anddispense with retaining or clamping members.

The case 2, is made of any suitable material, is open at each end, andis provided on each side with an oblong aperture 12.

The comb holding spring or anchor is inserted in the case from eitherend, and in the preferred form of this anchor it comprises an invertedU-shaped yoke 13, of spring wire, which is somewhat longer than thecase, each arm of which is bent to form a loop 14, at its lower end, theremaining portion of the wire beyond the loop being bent to cross overand extend beyond the opposite arm of the yoke. These oppositely bentends form flukes 15, which, when the anchor is slipped into the case 2,will project out through the apertures 12, in the sides of the case. Theanchor is made to contact with resilient pressure upon the sides of thecase, and when it is inserted in the case the flukes 15 will becompressed until their ends register with the apertures 12, and if theanchor is inserted from the bottom of the case, the flukes willemployed. In Fig.

project through the said apertures, and extend out beyond the sides ofthe case, as clearly shown by reference to Fig. 2, while if the anchoris inserted'from the top of the case, it must be pressed down until theends of the fiukes spring out through the apertures 12, and then aredrawn up to the position shown in Fig. 2, which is the operative orcomb-retaining position of the anchor, relatively to its case. In thisposition, the lower end of the anchor will be flush with the lower endof its case, while the upper end of the anchor will extend somewhatbeyond the upper end of the case, in position to be engaged by thefingers of the wearer.

The invention contemplates any practical form of fluke, and in Figs. 9,10,and 11, I have illustrated three forms which may be 9, the fiukes 16are formed by bending a portion of each arm of the yoke a suitabledistance from its lower end, outward and upward, to stand at an' angleto its arm. In Fig. 10, the fiukes 17, are bent inward and upward, andthen outward over its arm, and in Fig. 11, the bend of Fig. 10 iscontinued to form one or more coils 18, from which flukes 19 extendoutward over their respective arms.

In each form of the anchor, the flukes are bent to stand under a normaloutward pressure, and at an angle to the adjacent arm of the anchor, andthe yoke portion of the anchor is of slightly greater width than. thecas ing 2; consequently when the anchor is inserted in the case, thearms-of the yoke are sprung towards each other, and are under resilienttension against the walls of the case the flukes are also compressed,and are under constant outward resilient tension.

When the anchor is pressed up in its case, the flukes move outwardthrough the apertures 12, until the point is reached where they crossthe adjacent arm of the yoke, and the crotch thus formed will contactwith the upper end of the aperture 12, and prevent further upwardmovement of the anchor, The fiukes will then stand at an angle ofdivergence from the sides of the case suificient to cause them toinclose a portion of the hair between them and the sides of the case,making it impossible for the comb to become accidentally disengaged fromthe hair or withdrawn without the wearers notice.

When applied to small combs, the anchor case is pressed upon the middletooth of a comb, but for large combs two or three anchors may be used,and they can be placed on teeth at the opposite end portions when twoare used, or at equal distances apart when three or more are usedthroughout the length of the comb.

In applying a comb to the hair that is pro vided with one or more of mycomb holders, the lady before thecomb is raised to the head presses allof the stems up fiush with the bottom of the case, which upward movementpermits the fiukes to spring outward through and from the side aperturesof the case. The

.inserts it in the hair, and as the teeth of the comb move into thehair, the fiukes will spring inward against the sides of the case, andwill work out into their natural diverged angular position as soon asthe comb stops. Or if desired, the stems may be all pressed down intothe case before the comb is placed in the hair, which downward movementmoves the flukes into the case. Then the comb is placed in the hair, andafter it is properly positioned, a finger is placed in the below thelower end of the case and it is pressed into the case, which moves thefiukes spring outward through the side apertures oi the case into thehair, and they firmly lock the comb to the hair. When it is desired toremove the comb, the lady places a finger against the top of the stemand pushes it down into the case fiush with the top of the case, whichmovement causes the llukes to move downward entirely within the case,thus releasing the hair in which they are buried, and allowing the combto be as easily withdrawn as though the holder was not on the tooth ofthe comb.

My invention is simple in construction, small in size, attractive inappearance, and makes an efiicient comb holder.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is:

1. In a comb holder, the combination with the comb, of a tubular caseapplied to a tooth of said comb, a tubular portion on said case fittingover said tooth and supporting said case thereon, a stem reciprocallymounted in said hollow case and of enough greater length than said caseto extend beyond the opposite ends of said case when reciprocated inalternate order, said stem comprising a spring wire bent into a U-shapeand formed enough wider than the tubular case to cause its side from itsend to the ends against the opposite inner sides of said case, anchoringflukes formed on the free ends of the side wires of said stem, saidflukes comprising portions of the terminal ends of said wires, bentupon. themselves and over their side wires, with a curved bend, and tonormally stand at a diverging acute angle to its side wire, said flukeportions of said stem being arranged to be confined within said tubularcase with said stem under expansive resilient tension, and apertures inthe opposite sides adapted to permit said fiukes to move outward at anacute angle from said case as said stem is moved in said case towardsthe top end. of

lady then raises the comb to the head and ha1r against the end of thestem that projects upward, and as they move upward they 3 wires to beunder lateral resilient pressure said comb, and to recede within saidtubular case when said stem is moved in said case towards the points ofthe teeth of said comb.

2. In a comb holder, the combination with a comb, of a comb holder,comprising a tubular case provided with a sleeve portion fitting overthe tooth of the comb and to secure said case on said tooth, and ananchor member reciprocatively mounted in said tubular case andcomprising a wire stem member, consisting of a spring wire bent uponitself to form a long staple-shaped stem, said stapleshaped stem beingof such a width as to be under expansive resilient tension against theopposite inner walls of the tubular case, and having engaging flukeportions, on the free ends of said anchor member, said flukes comprisingbent up curved terminal end portions of the two side wires of thestaple-shaped anchor stem, each of said ends being bent into a loop,then toward and across the opposite side wire, and extended beyond it atan acute diverging angle from it towards the top end of thestaple-shaped stem, and being arranged to be under resilient lateralexpansive tension when within said tubular case,

and apertures in the opposite sides of said case adjacent to the ends ofsaid fiukes, adapted to permit said flukes to 'move through the sides ofsaid-case by their resilient expansive tension to their normal acuteangular position to said stem and case when said stem is moved towardsthe top of said comb, and to recede within said apertures and case whensaid stem is moved towards the ends of the teeth of said comb.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WALTER NOBLE. Witnesses:

G. SARGENT ELLIOTT, ADELLA M. FowLE.

